


Dance

by The_SeaCat



Category: AU - Fandom, Xi You Ji | Journey to the West - Wu Cheng'en
Genre: AU Verse, AU work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:47:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28126347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_SeaCat/pseuds/The_SeaCat
Summary: All sorts of things can happen at a festival, things one expects, and even things one doesn't expect.
Kudos: 4





	Dance

**Author's Note:**

> A small drabble/ficlet based off my Journey to the West AU verse that I wrote mostly for fun. But I'll be happy to answer any questions anyone has, of course! For now though, enjoy the story!

Preparations had taken several weeks, and it showed.

The lights, music, colorful decorations, and the smells of the various foods filled the temple grounds, giving it an even greater liveliness than it ever had before. Or at least it would likely feel that way until the next festival came around.

Children who were always trying to sneak onto the grounds to watch the students train were allowed to run wherever they pleased to take part in various games and treats other booths the grounds now had to offer. Couples dressed in vibrant colors walked from booth to booth to see some of the goods a few of the tradesmen had come to sell, and to partake in many of the good foods that had been prepared in advance for the occasion, or even to take part in some of the dances that near the large stage platform that had been set up. It was hard not to, with all the different tunes that had been played so far that night.

Sun was always up for fun and games, though he was never one to deny that he also enjoyed good food. So much so that it was a wonder he wasn’t truly a glutton. Most of the vendors and other students who were helping with the booths knew that about him, of course, so they were always wary when he would approach them, even turning him away after he’d already had a few helpings already. Sun knew his usual begging or pleading wouldn’t work on them, like it did on the young, vixen orchard tender, so he didn’t try that; but he was not one to give up so easily, nor be denied!

He managed to snag a bowl, freshly stocked with steamed buns, from behind a vendor’s back as they were busy attending to another customer. He then passed the prize from his tail to his free hand, then ascended up to the rooftop of a nearby building within the grounds. He plopped himself down there, on his back, one arm propped behind his head so the other could pass dumplings from the bowl that rested next to him to his mouth. His tail wagged in the air happily as he took the first bite, and heard the confused vendor below search for the fresh batch in vain. He’d make sure to drop a few ban liang off later to make up for their loss, of course, though for the moment he was simply looking to enjoy himself.

Sun watched the festival goers as they milled about in the grounds below, looking away from them only a few moments to watch as some children sent floating lanterns up into the sky. So much excitement, so much noise and so many smells; it could honestly be overwhelming if it all wasn’t just so fun to be in. Which is why part of him couldn’t fully understand why he hadn’t seen Breezy all night. She’d talked about being excited for the festival, and even helped prepare a lot of the foods and candies at some of the booths that had been set up, as well as helped to place decorations. But since the evening started he’d maybe only seen her once or twice, working on something or other, and even though it was work she still seemed to be enjoying herself. And she also seemed a bit… secretive about the whole thing, like she was planning something special. He could always tell because she would always get excited for festivals, and would always plan something new or surprising, like a new recipe or other, so maybe that’s why he hadn’t seen her. Maybe she was just busy with the preparations for such a surprise.

He made a mental note to go and find her once he finished his steamed snack, not to ruin her surprise, but rather to satisfy his own, growing curiosity. He reached for another bun, having swallowed the last one in almost one bite, looking up after his hand surprisingly had to search—somewhat fruitlessly—for the bowl that contained them, and finding it gone, much to his shock.

“Mmm! Festival food really hits the spot, doesn’t it, Sun?”

Sun sprang to his feet and spun around, heckles rising as he found another monkey on the rooftop with him, holding his hard gotten bowl of steamed buns in one hand, and a half eaten one in the other. Though his resemblance to Sun was almost uncanny, the darker furred, crimson clad monkey was never a welcome sight, as he always brought trouble with him in some form or other.

Six Ear grinned at Sun as he devoured a second bun. “Oh don’t give me that look, you can always get some more if you’re really that hungry.”

“How about you get your own?” Sun asked, pulling his staff from his ear and extending it towards Six Ear, skillfully knocking the bowl from the other simian’s grip and letting it slide down the length of the staff until it was back in his own hands. He snatched out another bun and shoved it into his mouth, practically swallowing it whole out of spite as he glared at Six Ear.

“Aren’t you monks supposed to share, and all that?” Six Ear asked with an amused scoff, smacking away the extended staff, which shrank seconds later. “And isn’t there some proverb about being too greedy when it comes to food?”

“And just what would you know about monks and proverbs?” Sun asked, wrapping his tail safely around the bowl and holding his staff tightly as Six Ear began to walk slowly towards him. 

Six Ear shrugged. “Very little, really. Just that they tend to flinch when you catch them straying from their rigorous path and it’s amusing to watch them do so.”

“See that?” Sun pointed his staff at him, clicking his tongue and shaking his head. “That right there is why you never get invited to festivals like this. That and a million other creepy things.”

“Ah, well.” Six Ear shrugged casually, two long, segmented and heavy maces appearing in his hands with a flick of his wrists. “I could always go as you, couldn’t I? I’m sure I could charm quite a few helpings out of a certain fox we both know, eh, Sun?”

“Tch!” Sun readied his staff, lip curling. “If the real me has a hard time with that, then why would it be any easier for you?”

“Hm, touché.”

“I believe in this case it’s en garde!”

Bronze clashed against iron as the two monkeys swung their weapons forward, trying to get the first strike against the other. Blocking, parrying, advancing, retreating, striking at whatever opening was presented as they battled back and forth on the rooftop; Sun was careful not to both drop the bowl held in his tail and not to get too reckless in the fight, even if it was Six Ear he was dealing with. He didn’t want anyone down below getting hurt, or to ruin the festival, and he couldn’t help but wonder if that was Six Ear’s goal in coming here in the first place. If that was the case, he certainly wasn’t going to just let him have his way, though he also couldn’t help but wonder if Six Ear came here just to pick a fight with him. It definitely wasn’t something he’d put past Six Ear, since he’d come looking to pick fights before, for some reason or another.

Still, he wasn’t about to lose control of his temper, or let his guard down!

He dodged to one side to avoid one of Six Ear’s maces, angling his staff in such a way that he could block the second if Six Ear chose to swing it at him, but to his surprise, the second mace vanished from his opponent’s hand all together. He barely had time to register what Six Ear could possibly have been scheming before the other simian jumped up and over him, snatching up one of the last remaining steamed buns from the bowl Sun was still holding with his tail.

“Hey!” he protested loudly, fur bristling as he watched Six Ear stuff the bun into his mouth, grinning despite his full cheeks. “Oh, you son of a…!”

Six Ear laughed, having swallowed the last of the dumpling, and waggled his finger at Sun, egging him forth into another attack, though not before his second mace reappeared back in hand to block the oncoming strike. He pressed his own attack forward, using the brace given to him from the block he held to shoot one of his legs out and catch Sun in the middle, knocking him back, then closing the gap again and taking a swing with his maces. Sun blocked, then carefully planted his staff into the roof tiles and extended it, launching himself up into the air to jump over Six Ear, landing behind him in the hopes of getting a clean hit to his spine; but Six Ear was ready for him. He turned and crossed his maces over each other to prevent any such strike from hitting him, and Sun countered with a kick of his own that knocked Six Ear down for a few moments. He crouched himself, knowing Six Ear would expect him to strike from above while he was down, and extended his staff so that just as Six Ear was moving to stand, the end caught him in the gut and sent him flying back further, almost to the very edge of the roof.

Six Ear fought the urge to vomit up the buns he’d stolen from Sun mere minutes ago because of the hit, taking what few seconds he had to recover to rub the offended area before dodging another strike from Sun’s staff. Had anyone in the festival thought to look up for any other reason than to view the floating lanterns, they would have seen Sun and Six Ear’s battle almost completely clearly from where they were now, but Sun was partially thankful that no one did. He didn’t want the festival to be ruined, but he also didn’t want Six Ear to get any ideas about vanishing into the crowd once someone else saw him. Sun could find him easily, of course, but in a crowd of frightened, confused festival goers, it would just be that much more difficult.

He raised his staff to block Six Ear’s next assault as the other monkey jumped at him, both maces raised to swing down with full force. The resounding gong that rang out from the two weapons would have been heard if not for the sound of another gong from down in the courtyard below, which drew the attention of most of the festival goers who were gathered nearby. 

And then the music at the stage changed.

It was a slow, yet happy sounding tune that was different from the other music that had been previously playing that evening. Maybe that was why it drew their attention at first, but what kept their attention on the stage was the presence of a familiar, pale, three tailed fox maiden standing on it.

In her hands was a silken dancing fan, so it quickly became clear just why she was on that stage. Her clothes had also been changed from what Sun had seen her in earlier, to a loose, light silken gown that was meant to flow around a dancer with all the grace of a wisp of smoke billowing through the air; the sleeves, while still large and loose like her usual attire, now hung from her shoulders with the exception of a thin strap of silk to keep them from slipping off all together. The patterns on the gown shimmered like silver, giving the briefest illusion of starlight glinting as she began to move with the music. She didn’t move like a regular dancer though, no, she moved with much more grace than that.

Anyone who knew her well, knew that Breezy had powers to manipulate the wind to some extent. She usually used them in her work, carrying herself off the ground just high enough to reach fruits in the trees that one would normally need a ladder of some sort to get at, or to blow away leaf litter. But now, she was using these abilities of hers to carry herself like a wisp of cloud dancing just above the stage itself, with some of the colorful petals that had been scattered there beforehand seeming to dance along with her as her wind picked up and carried them as well. And the long veil that stretched from the fan she carried also seemed to move with life of its own, dancing with her like some lucky fellow she had pulled up onto the stage with her.

Sun felt his arms slack as he continued to watch, and though he couldn’t tear them away, out of the corner of his eye he could see that Six Ear had also relaxed; actually leaning back away from him, taking them out of their locked position as he too continued to watch as Breezy danced. The way her body moved, the gown and the fan’s veil flowed around her with her wind, it was no wonder that it was almost trance inducing. 

So this was her surprise. She must have practiced for hours every night for weeks when the preparations for the festival first started. He couldn’t believe he never noticed, even if he had been preoccupied with his own efforts to help in the preparations. And even if he had noticed, even if he had some hint, he was certain that he couldn’t have been fully prepared for the spectacle before him. He felt a smile creep across his face as she moved to the influence of the music, using the fan expertly and somewhat coyly as she moved; the expression on her face almost giving the illusion that she was possibly imagining herself actually dancing with someone. 

She would open and close the fan at certain peaks in the music; closed to thin the veil and let her movements speed up to give the illusion of it trailing behind her like a fourth, much longer tail, Then, open to show off every flutter that she made with her wind abilities as well as to hide her face, only to peek out from behind it every once in a while, almost like a game of hide and seek with those watching her. She clearly wasn’t used to such attention from a crowd, evident from a clear, pink blush on her face despite her makeup, yet she was also clearly enjoying the expressions her movements got out of the audience. She was truly having fun with, and was proud of her performance, and it showed in the best, most subtle kind of way that made it all the more captivating.

A final set of long, and graceful spins sent petals dancing into the air above her and the veil of the fan she held coiling around her; the fan itself opening and closing in her hand for greater effect. Then, the music died ever so slowly, and Breezy finally stilled, on her knees, gown strewn out completely as though carefully placed there, thanks to one last gentle gust from her wind, and petals raining down softly all around her. And finally, the fan was held down in her lap in such a way that the veil stretched all the way out in front of her perfectly, like a path inviting a weary traveler to walk down it towards home. 

When the music finally stopped, the gathered crowd began to clap loudly and cheer. Breezy bowed, her blush even more evident, and even showing a glimpse of her three tails wagging behind her. She stood again to bow a few times more as they continued to applaud her, before practically skipping off the stage, tails still wagging, and vanishing from sight.

“Wow.” Sun finally breathed out, and had his staff not been in hand he certainly would have applauded like the rest of the crowd.

“Yeah,” he actually heard Six Ear sigh in agreement.

There was a slight pause as the music returned to normal, and the crowd began to bustle around to its previous business of enjoying the festivities, before both simians seemed to snap out of their trance.

“Right so, where were we?” Sun asked, cocky demeanor returning and swinging his staff at Six Ear’s legs, sweeping them out from him enough to knock the distracted monkey flat on his back.


End file.
